Combating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
by David Leffler, PhD

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7 July 2011

On 7 July 2011 Embody - Magazine of the Complementary Therapists Association reported: A new solution is being offered to help military personnel, veterans, and their families overcome the devastating effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). On behalf of the David Lynch Foundation's Operation Warrior Wellness, veterans like WWII pilot Jerry Yellin are urging the US Department of Defense and Veterans Administration officials to add a different modality to their treatment programmes for PTSD--one which has already been documented by extensive scientific research to reduce stress--the Transcendental Meditation Technique. It is a joy for Global Good News service to feature this news, which indicates the success of the life-supporting programmes Maharishi has designed to bring fulfilment to the field of health.

The article is featured on the cover of the Summer 2011 issue of Embody—the membership magazine for the CThA (Complementary Therapists Association), a leading professional organization representing complementary therapists in the UK and Ireland. It describes Transcendental Meditation as a simple technique that ''leads to a state of restful alertness—deep physical rest with heightened mental alterness. This allows the body to rid itself of deeply rooted stresses, especially the stress associated with traumatic conditions like PTSD.''

Author Dr David Leffler* describes scientific research on Transcendental Meditation showing that it reduces ''a wide variety of stress-related problems''. ''Meta-analyses published in peer-reviewed journals provide more evidence for the superior effectiveness of the TM technique over other practices in the areas of anxiety reduction, reduced high blood pressure, self-development, physiological relaxation, improved psychological outcomes, and decreased use of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes,'' he writes.

Dr. Leffler also discusses research on Vietnam veterans showing reduced PTSD symptoms, and a new study published in June in Military Medicine on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, who experienced ''a 50% drop in PTSD symptoms by the fourth week of TM practice, and even greater improvements by two and three months''.

Kush Kumar, the Chairman of the Complementary Therapists Association, wrote the following in his ''Welcome Note'' on the Embody table of contents page:  

''Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has become alarmingly prevalent in recent years, especially amongst the military. Conventional methods of treating this condition are not always successful and often sufferers receive only temporary relief from symptoms. Dr. David Leffler, in his article Combating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, offers a scientifically verified solution on how we can help sufferers in the long-term with this affliction, through transcendental meditation—a thought provoking read.''

* Dr. Leffler, a United States Air Force veteran, is executive director of the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS).

© Copyright 2011 Embody Magazine

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